(1) Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to the gas generator field, and, more particularly, to the generation of hydrogen as an energy source in an enviroment where the total output of a given generator is dedicated to a single use such as supplying the energy for an internal combustion engine.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Gas generators can take many forms generally envolving a chemical reaction, a liquification-separation process or an electrolysis reaction. In the case of hydrogen production, most of the gas is manufactured from natural gas, which is mainly methane, CH.sub.4. Refinery gas which is produced during oil refining and is a mixture of methane, propane and butane, can also be used for hydrogen production. These gases are reacted with steam at elevated temperature in the presence of a catalyst to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is usually reacted to carbon dioxide and then separated by an absorption process. This multi-step process envolves complex high temperature equipment. The other main means of producing hydrogen is by electrosis of water into its component oxygen and hydrogen gases; this envolves large equipment and a source of cheap electricity. Other processes envolve high temperature reactions such as partial combustion under carefully controlled conditions; all these processes result in gas mixtures from which the hydrogen must be separated.
On a smaller scale, U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,913 teaches a method of producing hydrogen by the reaction of a liquid metal with a gas, such as liquid aluminum and steam at a temperature of 1400.degree. F.
In my own U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,355, I have set forth a heating system utilizing an exothermic reaction of a solid metal, preferably aluminum, and a solution, preferably containing the reactant sodium hydroxide. The exothermic heat releases is indirectly transferred for conventional space heating. A bi-product of this heating system is the production of hydrogen.
It is a object of this invention to utilize a simple low temperature, flameless chemical reaction such as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,355 to produce hydrogen gas.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for continously producing hydrogen to be used as the fuel source of an internal combustion engine, thus requiring a compact, portable gas generator.
Another object is the production of hydrogen gas from readily available reactants.